The Judge Handgun... Good Self Defense Handgun or Not??

[temmi]

For what it is it is just too darn big...
 
 
Snake

[dpe.ahoy]

HMMMM, most everyone here seems pretty polarized, love or hate.  I don't have one but have sold several.  Some buy em for snake guns and they work well for that.  Most folks can't keep the presence of mind to shoot accurately at a snake that has scared them with a 357, 44 mag or 45 colt.  Others have bought them for home defense, short across the room distances.  Also no worry about the pellets going through the wall into a kids room or the neighbors house.  I think it has a place in the self defence arena, not for everyone but what is?  The size fits in a handgun vault by the bed, my shotguns do not.  That is a concern for me now with my 7 year old and his friends in the house.  Don't know if I will get one, I think my double actions revolvers with my Speer plastic caps filled with shot will do the job for me.  DP

[Savage]

dpe,
Just wondering if you've patterned your shot cap loads? I've loaded the shot caps in .38/.357 for snakes. Beyond 5-6' mine have been pretty useless. Within that range they do make a mess out of a cottonmouth! I'm thinking at 15', you'd be lucky to hit a man size target with half a dozen shot, much less deliver enough energy to stop a determined opponent. I've tried them in 2" and  4" barrels. Hope your loads perform better than mine. Hummmmmmmm, gets me thinking! I still have some of the shot capsules as well as a few of the factory loaded ones. Might be time to do a little experimenting!
Savage

[SHOOTALL]

If you shoot buck shot I would worry about going thru. sheetrock. If your load won't go thru. sheetrock I would worry about failure to stop an attack.

[joe 1951]

y'll left out one thing...a lot of people who would never own or shoot a gun befor are buying them,a lot of them have found that they like 'em.[guns that is ]so a lot of new shooters got startered .And this is needed in any sport!!

[EastKY_DO]

y'll left out one thing...a lot of people who would never own or shoot a gun befor are buying them,a lot of them have found that they like 'em.[guns that is ]so a lot of new shooters got startered .And this is needed in any sport!!

Joe, you make the best argument I've heard yet for the Judge.  I don't personally own or want one, but I have a couple of friends that do & they love them.  Anything that gets more people into the shooting sports is a good thing.

[S.B.]

y'll left out one thing...a lot of people who would never own or shoot a gun befor are buying them,a lot of them have found that they like 'em.[guns that is ]so a lot of new shooters got startered .And this is needed in any sport!!

I agree 100% we need to alow  room for everyone.
Steve

[SHOOTALL]

y'll left out one thing...a lot of people who would never own or shoot a gun befor are buying them,a lot of them have found that they like 'em.[guns that is ]so a lot of new shooters got startered .And this is needed in any sport!!

but is a bad start good ?

[evidrine]

y'll left out one thing...a lot of people who would never own or shoot a gun befor are buying them,a lot of them have found that they like 'em.[guns that is ]so a lot of new shooters got startered .And this is needed in any sport!!

but is a bad start good ?

That is a matter of opinion...

[FPH]

I was going to buy one for my wife.  My buddy has two of them.  He said they pattern so badly  that I was welcome to one of them, he just didn't recommend them.

[SHOOTALL]

y'll left out one thing...a lot of people who would never own or shoot a gun befor are buying them,a lot of them have found that they like 'em.[guns that is ]so a lot of new shooters got startered .And this is needed in any sport!!

but is a bad start good ?

That is a matter of opinion...

Why of course it is opinion there are good ones and bad ones also. Mine happen to be good . 

[evidrine]

Thats a matter of opinion also..

[SHOOTALL]

Yep ! 
Truth is I see the gun as a gimick . If it works for others good for them . I hope if it is ever needed for self defense it works well.
 It is marketed as a SD gun say in a hijacking . If so why such a long gun with a long cyl. making it easy to grab and tie the gun up ? or making DA trigger pull harder with more cyl. to turn ? I dare say none of these concerns are mentioned to "new" shooters buying one for the first time.

[Spirithawk]

If we all simply liked the same gun....we'd all own the same gun! Where would the fun or pride in ownership be then? I've a friend that owns a Judge and he loves it though he rarely actualy shoots it. To me it's a bit pricy and more gimmick than practical but my opinions no better than another. All opinions are just that, opinion. If it works for you, holds up, you can afford it, you're happy with it, then all other opinions are just fluff and of little true value.

[SHOOTALL]

If we all simply liked the same gun....we'd all own the same gun! Where would the fun or pride in ownership be then? I've a friend that owns a Judge and he loves it though he rarely actualy shoots it. To me it's a bit pricy and more gimmick than practical but my opinions no better than another. All opinions are just that, opinion. If it works for you, holds up, you can afford it, you're happy with it, then all other opinions are just fluff and of little true value.

sorta like a wife 

[Spirithawk]

If we all simply liked the same gun....we'd all own the same gun! Where would the fun or pride in ownership be then? I've a friend that owns a Judge and he loves it though he rarely actualy shoots it. To me it's a bit pricy and more gimmick than practical but my opinions no better than another. All opinions are just that, opinion. If it works for you, holds up, you can afford it, you're happy with it, then all other opinions are just fluff and of little true value.

sorta like a wife 

Exactamundo! lol Don't know about you but my wife of 39 years sometimes swears I'm married to my guns! 

[SHOOTALL]

34 years here and she says the same thing

[Spirithawk]

34 years here and she says the same thing

Well, if you ever get sent to the doghouse you can stay with me till things blow over. I've got a nifty treehouse with a front porch that beats the doghouse any day.

 

[SHOOTALL]

34 years here and she says the same thing

Well, if you ever get sent to the doghouse you can stay with me till things blow over. I've got a nifty treehouse with a front porch that beats the doghouse any day.

been thinking of building something like that for a deer hunting blind . The older I get the more comfort I like 

[Spirithawk]

34 years here and she says the same thing

Well, if you ever get sent to the doghouse you can stay with me till things blow over. I've got a nifty treehouse with a front porch that beats the doghouse any day.

been thinking of building something like that for a deer hunting blind . The older I get the more comfort I like 

Man I hear that. I've hunted out of this one. In bad weather deer like bedding down underneath it. I'm facing heart valve replacement pretty soon.I've already had a tripple bypass and stents. ( That Agent Orange & Pink crap) I find out just when the 26th and my son has been pampering me. My birthday is the 29th and he gave me a present a bit early, a new Bone Collector Series Doghouse blind. Used it bow hunting Saturday, it was  raining all day. I was pretty apreciative of the blind. He got himself one too. We didn't get a shot at anything but got to see a huge 8pt just outta bow range and a large flock of turkeys. another 10 yards and one would have made it's way into my smoker. Was nice sitting out of the weather and watching the show.

[FPH]

HMMMM, most everyone here seems pretty polarized, love or hate.  I don't have one but have sold several.  Some buy em for snake guns and they work well for that.  Most folks can't keep the presence of mind to shoot accurately at a snake that has scared them with a 357, 44 mag or 45 colt.  Others have bought them for home defense, short across the room distances.  Also no worry about the pellets going through the wall into a kids room or the neighbors house.  I think it has a place in the self defence arena, not for everyone but what is?  The size fits in a handgun vault by the bed, my shotguns do not.  That is a concern for me now with my 7 year old and his friends in the house.  Don't know if I will get one, I think my double actions revolvers with my Speer plastic caps filled with shot will do the job for me.  DP

My friend bought his two ( one for him and one for his son) to kill rattle snakes on his ranch......they patterened so badly they just took to carrying a mag. of CCI shot for their .45 ACPs.

[PAHUnter04]

There is no shot shell, 45 or otherwise that patterns better than any 2 3/4 in .410 shotgun shell in the Judge. Been there done that, got the t-shirt. Just compare the two test side by side.
 
PAH

[FPH]

There is no shot shell, 45 or otherwise that patterns better than any 2 3/4 in .410 shotgun shell in the Judge. Been there done that, got the t-shirt. Just compare the two test side by side.
 
PAH

I disagree.......I've seen the pattern from both the .410 from two Judges and a .45 CCI shot shell.  The .45 won hands down.  The Judges were terrible.  Been there did do that and compared the two patterns side by side.

[SHOOTALL]

There is no shot shell, 45 or otherwise that patterns better than any 2 3/4 in .410 shotgun shell in the Judge. Been there done that, got the t-shirt. Just compare the two test side by side.
 
PAH

I also disagree got the hat tee shirt was to small. 

I disagree.......I've seen the pattern from both the .410 from two Judges and a .45 CCI shot shell.  The .45 won hands down.  The Judges were terrible.  Been there did do that and compared the two patterns side by side.

[williamlayton]

HUMMMMM-WELL NOW----Since I am in a kind of bottom line mood this moring, I will have my say.
Anything is good if it does the job------NOW---if'n it fails to do the job-----well, you know---who in the heck will care. You certainly won't be around to debate the issue.
Be responsible for yourownself---probably won't be none of us around to watch.
Blessings

[FPH]

HUMMMMM-WELL NOW----Since I am in a kind of bottom line mood this moring, I will have my say.
Anything is good if it does the job------NOW---if'n it fails to do the job-----well, you know---who in the heck will care. You certainly won't be around to debate the issue.
Be responsible for yourownself---probably won't be none of us around to watch.
Blessings

I agree, I was testing the Judge as a snake gun for my wife.......it turned out to good only for a boat anchor for me!  I will be going with something like the Snake Charmer for her and I'll stick with my 1911.

[PAHUnter04]

Gee maybe we have different Judges..... .45 shot shells, cut me a break. Then just go to a 3 in Judge, still not enough for a snake? Come on.
 
Maybe you NEED BUCK shot for those monster snakes. You are comparing a .45 ACP or LC shell with bird shot to a full blown shotgun shell .410 in 2 3/4 in or 3 in. with 4 or 6 shot? That does not compute in my book.
 
PAH

[FPH]

Gee maybe we have different Judges..... .45 shot shells, cut me a break. Then just go to a 3 in Judge, still not enough for a snake? Come on.
 
Maybe you NEED BUCK shot for those monster snakes. You are comparing a .45 ACP or LC shell with bird shot to a full blown shotgun shell .410 in 2 3/4 in or 3 in. with 4 or 6 shot? That does not compute in my book.
 
PAH

Shotgun shell isn't any good if it blows a bad pattern......you take your Judge, I'll take my .45

[1911crazy]

There is one model or manufacturer who builds the judge to shoot the 454 casull, 45 long colt and the 410 shotgun shell too.  This gives us a choice of a heavy hitting 454 casull,  or a 45long colt or a 410 shotshell with "00" or a slug.  I don't have one yet but it raised my interest.

[SHOOTALL]

BFR I think made/makes that gun.
Big Fine Revolver